Gary Neville was far from convinced by a controversial moment involving Florian Wirtz during Liverpool’s clash with Arsenal, as the former Manchester United defender described a key challenge as “clumsy” after Reds players furiously appealed for a penalty.
The first half at Anfield ended without a goal, despite Liverpool showing plenty of intent. Conor Bradley came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when his clever lob over David Raya struck the crossbar, leaving the home crowd gasping.
While chances were limited before the interval, the biggest talking point of the match arrived just minutes after the restart.
The incident unfolded when Liverpool’s number seven collected the ball just inside the Arsenal penalty area. Displaying his close control and confidence, Wirtz weaved past two Arsenal defenders and appeared to have carved out a clear opportunity to shoot.
However, just as he was setting himself, Leandro Trossard crashed into him from the side.
The Arsenal forward made no contact with the ball and instead halted Wirtz’s progress through an untidy collision. To compound matters, Gabriel then hauled the German midfielder back to his feet in what looked like a rather rough manner.
Liverpool players immediately surrounded referee Anthony Taylor, loudly demanding a spot kick. A VAR review followed, but officials at Stockley Park ultimately backed the referee’s original decision, ruling that no penalty should be awarded. Play resumed after only a brief delay, much to the frustration of the Reds.
Neville, speaking on co-commentary for Sky Sports, appeared unconvinced by the outcome. While he stopped short of saying it was a definite penalty, he made it clear that Trossard had taken a significant risk. “That was clumsy,” Neville remarked. “What a risk from Trossard that was.” His comments suggested that Arsenal may have been fortunate not to concede a spot kick at such a crucial moment.
From a VAR perspective, the decision seemed to hinge on the absence of a “clear and obvious error” by the on-field referee.
Because Taylor had waved play on initially, the officials reviewing the footage did not feel the threshold had been met to overturn that call. However, questions remain over what would have happened had Taylor pointed to the spot in real time.
Given that Trossard arrived late, caught plenty of Wirtz, and failed to touch the ball, it is difficult to imagine VAR stepping in to cancel a penalty if one had been awarded.
Incidents of a similar nature in other Premier League matches have often resulted in penalties, which only added to Liverpool’s sense of injustice.
As Neville implied, Trossard’s challenge was careless at best, and potentially costly. Interestingly, the Belgian was withdrawn just minutes later, perhaps indicating that Mikel Arteta was concerned about the risk of another mistimed tackle.
Arne Slot may well voice his displeasure when speaking to the media after the match, but the decision itself is irreversible.
For Liverpool, the only option was to move on, maintain belief, and try to make the most of any chances that came their way against a disciplined Arsenal side sitting at the top of the table.
